The Vanguard Against Our Destruction
by Rogue Paragon
Summary: The Protheans, losing the battles and the war, decide to take a different approach to preserving their empire. The young races of our cycle are observed, guided, and evaluated by a network of specialized VIs. It's a race to inherit the lost knowledge of those who came before- a race whose participants have no idea they're competing. Ideas welcome, AU. T for language, violence.
1. Introduction

**A/N: I know most people reading this won't give it a moments thought as a new story, but I'm writing it as an experiment to see both how far I can get and how an AU like this will be received. I appreciate any feedback positive or negative, and will try to adjust if I'm given suggestions. Please don't hesitate to flame, it's still criticism and will be taken into consideration. Enjoy. **

**Be sure to look at the Vanguard Compendium, a technical and visual guide to weapons, ships, armor, and locations that is currently under development. forum/Vanguard-Compendium/152225/**

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"The multiverse (or meta-universe) is the hypothetical set of infinite or finite possible universes (including the historical universe we consistently experience) that together comprise everything that exists and can exist: the entirety of space, matter, time and energy as well as the physical laws and constants that describe them. The various universes within the multiverse are sometimes called parallel universes."- Wikipedia

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The story starts off simple enough; The Solution is created. The Solution creates the Reapers, and by extension, the Cycle. The Reapers harvest advanced species for millions of years, and ensure that all races develop along the lines of Reaper-created technology; the harvesters can never be defeated this way. For the young race of humanity, their discovery of FTL and the mass-effect comes from the Protheans. They had been observed, guided, and the technology had been left as an inheritance when the Protheans were harvested. Technology that relies on element zero to function can hardly stand up to the Reapers. After all, they invented it.

But the message is different.

Oh sure, you've heard this before. Humanity develops new technology because the Protheans left a different message. They beat the turians in the First Contact War, take the races of the Citadel by storm, and refuse to join the Council. Then they magically make friends with the quarians, solve the geth problem, get the krogan on board, and mange to win over the turians/asari/salarians to destabilize the Council.

Yeah, no. What if the Protheans had not left scattered records of weapons and starships?

What if they had left, instead of an inheritance, a legacy? Shoes to fill?

In this divergent reality the Mars Archives never existed. The Thessia Beacon, Mount Vassala, and all other sites that held eezo technology for the next cycle were never built. Instead, the Protheans left behind their ambition and a challenge, issued to the younger races without their knowledge. Facilities were constructed in the final days of the war on or near the home-worlds of these peoples. Luna's mountain range. Thessia's high polar reaches. Deep underground on Sur'kesh. Menae's dark side. Beneath a volcano on Kar'shan. The southern pole of Rannoch's moon. Within Tuchanka's rain-forests. An island on Kahje. Beneath Rakhana's largest desert. Irune's deepest ocean trench.

Inside these bastions of knowledge were complex systems holding the history of the Prothean Empire. VIs remotely monitored the worlds they had been assigned, extrapolating societal and cultural norms and comparing them to archetypes of communal species attitude. These watchers would guide, shape, and educate influential individuals, and when their charges had reached a certain level of responsibility and worthiness, the secrecy would be ceased. The catch to this plan was, only one species could lead the next cycle against the Reapers. Whichever reached the desired requirements first would be uplifted to take over where the Protheans left off. The rest would have to catch up on their own time.

Vambrace. Valkyrie. Valiant. Veteran. Virtuoso. Voyager. Vocalist. Volatile. Vexation. Velocity. These last remnants of the once-great Empire would stand as guardians and teachers of the young races, and would be guides in the uncertain future. Some may see them as gods, others may see them as demons. The Protheans see them as the last hope for their efforts against the Reapers. They see themselves as nothing but code and memory with a set task. As the Cycle winds down and the extinction terminus approaches, these VIs are the final line against the Reapers. The race they chose will be nothing less than the Vanguard against our destruction.

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**A/N: The next chapter will be longer and discuss the individual VI, their facilities, and their history. After that I plan to begin the main story with characters and actual progression. Again, please leave any comments or ideas you have and I'll try to address them. Thank you for reading. **


	2. Julius

**A/N: Hello again. Thanks for sticking through that dismally short first chapter. I'll try to give you more beef in the subsequent sections. Sorry if the characters seem over or under exaggerated. I know historical events may be incorrect here or there due to continuity and time, but it is artistic license. Sorry history buffs. **

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B̟͚̼̪̤̝͇e̞͎͈f̘̜̬͖o̘͓̳̳r̠̲e̞͙̭̭̺ ̱̤̪t͉̜̝͉̣h͖̘͈͔͎̤̱e̮̟͙̫̥̠ ̹H̱̫a͓̗͎̪rv̖̣̣e̺̯̲͈s͙̱̖̲̲̖t̝̘͓̮͈̤  
̤̠̝̥T̗͙͕ͅͅh̰̩̖̞̖̦e̦̣ ͎̟̫C̟̭̘̳̜̫̼r͕o̙p̣ i̦s̮̯̰ ̤̻̫̮̰̤̗n̙̭̭e̫͎v̠e̩̪̰̹r̰̯͍̞̼̱ ̭̺̭a͔w͈̱͙̼̘̤a̲͍ṛ̤̤̺̫̯e͉ ̻̳̞̭͕̞͉  
̠͖̦͕̠͇ͅO͕̬͓̤̱̺͙f̖̳ ͎̤w͍̬̲͎̻h̬̻̥a͙̩̬̱̦t̖̱̯̼̮ i̜͙s̘̹̮͉̦̱̬ ̦ͅt̖̗̭̹͔̤o̯̯͍̩ ̰̜co̹͇̹͈̖m͍̬̞͉e̖̙͖̮͖̞.̜̝͈ͅ

A cool wind blew through the room. A grizzled man with the chiseled face poured himself a mug of wine from the thin necked vessel on his desk and sipped it mildly, grimacing despite the sweet tang. He slowly made his way over to the sofa in the middle of his study, staring out the window at Capital Hill. The Senate was becoming more and more corrupt, with elitist Senators from both sides lining their pockets from deals and alliances rather than addressing the needs of the people. Soon enough the economy would collapse, and the citizens would riot. The only thing that the Senate seemed to agree upon was that power was better than prosperity.

He frowned as he lay down on the plush couch. War seemed the only thing that united the country. Everyone agreed with the events of the last 50 years, the rest of the world was hostile. Citizens wouldn't travel outside the borders for fear of muggings, outside nations were inherently hostile, and the few allies that were left seemed to be fading fast. The Republic's holdings were straining against it, and the man feared if the other Senators did not get over themselves, or declare war on someone else, there would be a fast break down of the social order that had been built up over so many years. Would the Republic have to turn to becoming an Empire?

The increasing militancy of the surrounding nations had spurred the stern big brother figure of the Republic into a ruthless enforcer, utilizing the superior training and technology of it's troops to crush any opposition. But while the main focus in the past had been on defense, now there was a notion that if strict reforms were passed, the armies of the country would be put to use conquering the world. The Republic was founded on personal freedom and choice, free from a restrictive government who exploited their peoples. There is no room for outright warmongering in a society birthed of these ideas.

A door creak shook the man from his musings; stepping into the room was another man, younger by some years but one with a grim and still air around him. His formal Senate attire was simpler than most, without expensive material or embellishing accessories. He nods to the grizzled man in deference.

"Julius."

"Marcus. What brings you to my humble dwelling?" The grizzled man arches an eyebrow and moves to supply the newcomer with a mug of sweet wine. Marcus barks out a laugh at his friend.

"Humble? I would have thought the recent changes in the Senate should push you into the ring of the selfish buffoons?" Julius made a small 'harumph' at this comment, handing Marcus the wine who readily accepted it. After a murmur of thanks, he took a drought of the beverage while the older man paced in front of the window.

"Hardly. I'm insulted you see me among those greedy men. There cannot be a greater threat to the Republic than itself. We may have enemies at every turn, but the one thing that will surely bring us down is the politician. We have an issue, Marcus. All jokes aside, the vast majority of Senators have been taking bribes and making descicions based off their own personal interests. All they think about is taxes, money, benefits, and social events. The once great Republic is coming apart at the seams. The way I see it, only war can unite us. Common ground between military leaders and lawmakers is crucial. A campaign can provide that ground. We need to contain the foolish Senators and the restless provinces before one or both cause our downfall. Doing both at once can save much time and headache."

Marcus shook his head as he sips his win and listens to Julius speak. His friend had been down this path many times before. His time as a general had jaded him into thinking almost everything could be solved with combat if it can't be solved with speaking.

"I think while you are on the right track, Julius, that the most of the time everything cannot be beaten down, killed or trampled. We would need to a approach all of this at a much more delicate pace, with reforms and change. If we depose all the Senators instead of placating them, we can insert new ones who care for the republic and her welfare. Instead of conquering another enemy, we could simply keep defending. It saves lives, saves time, energy, resources. Julius, think of the long term rather than the short."

Julius paused. While Marcus made a point with the benefits in the long run, he would not abandon the military to simply guarding borders. It was not what they had joined for.

"I can't. I won't leave our soldier unfulfilled. They signed up to do the Republic proud and wage war for it. If we are threatened we must completely obliterate the enemy. They must be given purpose, Marcus."

Marcus scowled and slammed his mug down onto the table, waves of wine threatening to spill over.

"Damn it Julius, you fool! That will just lead us into another spiral! The economy may boom and there will be more jobs, of course. There always is. But to fix something, it needs to stay fixed. What you propose will last a few years, a decade at most. And after that? The corrupt will be lining their pockets with war revanue and loot, and citizens will be forced out of the jobs that are no longer needed! You are going to just prolong the inevitable!"

Julius snarled and clenched his hands, waving a finger at the younger man. "You see not my point! I must give my men a reason to be military! I am their leader, and I am their role model. General and conqueror, never lost a battle! The soldiers see me as the virtue of the Army, Marcus. If I play simple games in the Senate and deal around with politicans, there will be no respect and no faith in the chain of command. The Army is supposed to be fighting for the Republic, and for it's betterment. It won't happen with generals playing legislature, and if the only way to unfix the chain the Senate has around our necks is to go to war, then we must go to war!"

The other man simply laughed. "Do you hear yourself, old friend? You're a hypocrite. Just last week you complained to me for several minutes on end about how the Senate keeps sending out the military to conquer new lands. I believe you had said you were tired of soldiers not being able to protect the Republic, being so far away. Your men have more respect for you than you realize. It's not going to go away because you attend Senate sessions. After all, we are ver close, the two of us, and I'm a Senator." He mildly sipped from his mug as he raised his eyebrows.

Julius frowned; he had indeed said that. "My...apologies, the recent Senate sessions have left me...confused, and angry. The way politicians take the military for granted, I feel my men are not glorious soldiers any more under a money hoarder instead of a general. I realize that I may not have as much power with the Senators as I once did, but to be passed over for a resolution on waiving building codes for government officials? Those fools just want their personal palaes more opulent and grand. I'm trying to vent my anger the only way I know how."

Marcus strode over and put a comforting hand on Julius' shoulder. "I know, Julius. But the Republic needs you here, in the capitol, vying with the few level headed of us Senators for reform, not out on the front lines as a general, slaughtering your way through another opponent. We are strong, it is true; Spain, Greece, All of Asia and Africa, the British Islands. None stood up to our nation and survived. But we do not need another restless territory, nor do we need our greatest mind out finding some people to put under the Republic's boot. Your support means much to me and the others. With you, we can fix the future of the Repubic, but only if you abstain from waging war."

Julius gruffly mumbled something and turned away from the younger man, musing the possibilities. "If we were to say, identify the corrupt officials through every point of government, and replaced them with people just as capable, but loyal to the nation instead of their purse, it is possible to get the nation back on track to where it needs to be. A shining example of law and order. If what you say is true, Marcus, I intend to help you. But on one condition." He turned and looked his friend in the eyes, his conflicting mind hidden behind impassive grey eyes.

"You will handle the politicking. I will handle the military. No doubt some Senators have friends in high places. We may have a coup attempt, or we may have desertions, or a loss of morale. I mean to prevent that. This country has existed for so long only because of our superior training and equipment." Marcus nodded and smiled through his masked face, and clasped his friends hand in his own.

"It is settled. I will handle the negotiations and power plays, and you take care of the military and discipline. With this we can turn the Republic around. We do not need an Empire."

Julius shook on the agreement, but grimaces in thought. "We will need help though. This sort of task may take time."

"_Rrik mardo jaran'dill baaransi._"

Julius and Marcus spun around at the voice coming from the open window, years of military training kicking in as the two men assumed hand-to-hand combat stances despite their awkward robes. But standing in front of the open window was not an intruder. It wasn't even a man.

A glowing, transperant figure seemed to wait patiently for the two men's reactions, it's arms crossed and a small scowl on it's face. Despite the shifting, fuzzy nature of it's body, the figure was clearly wearing armor, although the style and nature of the plates was completely foreign to Marcus and Julius. Neither man paid much attention to the small details however. The only thoughts going through their heads were that this being appeared out of nowhere, it was glowing green, and it _was not human. _

Jerking themselves from their trances, Julius and Marcus dropped to their knees on the carpet and prostrated themselves before the figure. They were trembling in awe and fear and wonder.

"O great one, tell us your whim. Are you an emissary from the Gods? Are you a God yourself?"Julius' voice wavered, a far departure from his normally stony words. Marcus beside him began praying, saying praises to the heavens and the Gods. Above them, the figure cocked it's head to one side, and it's scowl deepened.

"Language translation data complete. No. I am not a diety nor a celestial being. I am an artificial construct based off the personality imprint of Commander Nemid Bardal of Farsin Prime. Rather the image before you is a projection of my chosen physical representation."

The two men slowly lifted their heads from the carpet, bewilderment clouding their features. Before, this apparition had spoken in a language they had never heard. Then, it spoke again. All this had bee said in flawless Latin. The events were getting stranger and stranger

"W-why are you here? What are you doing in my study?" Julius carefully fentured, his voice quiet. He still had no idea what this thing was, but it was never hurtful to be cautious.

Again, the being cocked his head.

"You have been chosen. You have shown that you can work in concert, yet one of you is a military leader and the other a politician. You both care for your nation deeply and wish to see it an example to the world you know. Your country exemplifies the human race; powerful in battle, strong in mind and art, and persuasive in it's speech. Rise, Gaius Julius Caesar and Marcus Junius Brutus. The Republic of Rome needs you. Humanity needs you. You will be the most influential of your species vanguard for the future, and I will help you stabilize your Republic if you will use the information I give you to further advance your people, and the world."

Julius looked at Marcus; Marcus looked at Julius. They both scrambled to their feet, undignified motion for men of their station. Julius adjusts his robes and clears his throat nervously.

"Where do we begin?"

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**A/N: Let me know what you think. I'll be doing chapters like this for every major race. It will be slow going as I'll have to invent history from scratch. Let me know if you have any ideas, and again, thanks for reading. **


	3. Humans

**A/N I've created this chapter to coincide with a completely revised timeline that covers all of humanity. Hopefully it is more complete and original. **

**Pax Humana: I value the opinions of my readers, and you are correct in that I should try to be more creative. However, Voyager only ONCE directly gives humans a piece of technology. The rest of the instances, he only supplies them with blueprints which they have to work off of, so progress is slower.**

**I completely agree with your issue with the chances of certain people existing and doing things. For the sake of "staying human" I've kept some people but most have been removed.**

**Addressing the fact of some nations existence, I see your point. But it's inevitable that some countries will be founded, because not everything is cause and effect when it involves new nations. **

**Versailles was an attempt of mine trying to fix the worst diplomatic decision in history. While the French Union is not your traditional "France" it is still much the same geography and cities. **

**The moon point has been addressed. It's hard to be realistic when completely reinventing much of recorded history in two hours. Thank you for your help. **

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**Earth Timelines**

52 BCE- Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus are visited by Voyager. Beginning of human exponential advancement.

21 BCE- The Greek philosophizer movement is re-established. Voyager teaches the academics of Greece about quantum physics and advanced medicine. In the coming years The Greek Protectorate will become the world's foremost authority on experimental sciences.

0 BCE- Roman and Greek scholars begin to spread knowledge and technology throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. The Common Era calendar takes effect. The first complete map of the world is created.

34 CE- Voyager begins to educate the starts of collective society in the Americas. He instructs the societies of the Eastern hemisphere not to contact the West for some time.

79 CE- The Illuminati are formed. The secret organization exists to prevent the fact that an alien intelligence is shaping humanity's future from reaching the general public.

115 CE- The United People's Land of Kenya is founded. The UPLK becomes a strong socialist power in the future.

212 CE- The first prototype telegraph system is enacted in the Eastern Hemisphere. Explorations to Antarctica take place. The High Roman Republic is formed from Sicily and the Italian Peninsula.

354 CE- The ancestors of the Mayans, Incans, and Aztecs form one society under the banner of the Trans-Tribal Federation. South America is formally christened Greater America, for the fact that "Emer'Rikka" means "diverse biome" in Prothean.

471 CE- Gothic city-states under the warrior-councilor Flavius Odoacer enter in a mutual agreement with Rome for protection and the exchange of technology. This is the first in a series of treaties that form the Excalibur Pact, a worldwide peacekeeping organization.

531 CE- First worldwide communications system. The Trans-Tribal Federation joins the Excalibur Pact, and the organization's headquarters is officially moved to the island of Bermuda.

542 CE- A cooperative effort of the TTF, UPLK, HRR, TGP, Japanese Empire, and newly created North American Consulate lands a multinational crew on the Moon. They are permitted by Voyager to enter his facility and take pieces of technology back to Earth with them. Advancements occur in leaps and bounds after this equipment is reverse engineered to work without eezo.

718 CE- The Enlightenment. Emissaries from all advanced countries spread technology and education over every corner of the globe. Art and science explode in the minds of the population.

726 CE- The World Wide Web is created.

819 CE- First experiments into Artificial Intelligence and automated workforces. Humanities creation of a working AI, dubbed 0R1G1N, is viewed as a momentous occasion. The AI causes a small panic with the question, "Am I alive?" After several intense weeks of debate by scientists all over the globe, the answer is, "You have consciousness, and you think and reason. You require energy to survive, and cannot exist without certain key elements to create and sustain you. Therefore you must be a living being." Voyager counts this development as an extreme positive due to Prothean issues with AI. However, Artificial Intelligences are bound by their programming limits and cannot have emotions, and must use logic and mathematics to solve issues that their programming cannot address.

January 940 CE- An orbital ring and space elevators are proposed to harness Sol's energy for humanity. Construction begins in seven months' time.

991 CE- Solar Energy is made the primary energy source for humanity. The orbital ring station and system of strato-elevators are completed after a half century worth of work. The Arabian Knights League guards the oil fields of the Middle East as a fallback resource.

1063 CE- Impact weaponry is first prototyped, allowing pure kinetic energy to be utilized as ammunition. The experimental nature of the technology is still horribly misunderstood, and the explosive self-detonations of the first few test models keeps human weaponry at the directed energy standard for the foreseeable future.

1098 CE- Humanity's permanent lunar colony is founded. Pioneer Crater becomes a bustling metropolis within a century.

1111- Construction of a massive station using rocks from the Asteroid Belt is initiated.

1135 CE- FTL Drives are first researched to work without Element Zero. In a radical departure from traditional technology, engineers try to understand spatial compression to be used in starships.

1194 CE- Colonies can be found on Luna, Mars, several moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and in orbit around these planets.

1271 CE- A space colony is established in orbit of Europa in order to explore the possibility of exploiting the moon for its liquid water. No native life is found in the frozen oceans and the melting and shipping process begins later that year. These new resources enable the completion of Redoubt Prime, humanity's single largest and longest undertaking; a space station created using three asteroids, each around 5 km in diameter.

1302 CE- A nuclear exchange between the Saharan Free States and the Alliance of Slavic Domains threatens to condemn humanity to being abandoned by Voyager. The heavy sanctions and reforms enacted by the Excalibur Pact and other mediation organizations change the VI's opinion. It begins the final measures to pass judgment on humanity.

1347 CE- The Museum of Humanity opens at the intersection of the Prime Meridian and the Equator. It chronicles the history and advancements of the human race, and in time becomes the number one visited place by extraterrestrial tourists wanting to learn more about humans. It leaves vast chambers and halls open for future exhibits.

1426 CE- The Tumbler Drive is perfected, allowing both FTL travel and the charging of kinetic weapons through its' rotating design. The first wave of Faster-than-Light human ships are unveiled in Titan's orbital shipyards.

1430 CE- Voyager announces to the Illuminati that it will pass judgment on humans and that they should wait for the verdict. The invention of inertial amplifiers makes kinetic energy weapons viable. The creation of a new form of AI: the Synthetic Consciousness. An SC is created from several AI matrices being molded together, and can think, reason, learn, expand on their abilities, have emotions, intuition, and do not view everything in logical senses like AIs do. SCs are accepted by humans as a new species and are welcomed into society.

1431 CE- After a year of deliberation with the rest of the Prothean Vanguard, Voyager finds agreement among his colleagues and declares humanity will lead the cycle against the Reapers. The vaults of the Luna Facility, closed to humans for centuries, are opened to allow access to all experimental Prothean technologies and the archives of the race. The saved personalities and memories of many influential people in human history can now guide and advise their descendants; they become the Anscentral Forum. The technology of humanity now does not rely on Element Zero in any facet. Ships can traverse a system in several minutes using FTL drives. Weapons can shatter enemies, buildings, and ships. A government is needed to represent humanity, and soon the Free Terran Federation is born.

1460 CE- Humanity discovers the Citadel.

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**Archives File: Impact Weapons**

Impact Weaponry- A type of firearm that utilizes raw kinetic energy as ammunition. The interior of the weapon is vastly different between the handheld and ship mounted versions. The basic concept of the impact weapon is the inertial amplifier, or amp. The amp, stored internally or in a detachable pack, allows a simple amount of energy to be converted into a deadly amount. This device is supplemented by a series of mechanisms that either generate kinetic energy or transfer it to the emitter and amp. The most common are pistons, springs, and turbines. Once the energy reaches the amplifier, it is charged through a packet of highly electrified plasma and ejected from the barrel at an extremely high speed. For most handheld weapons, this is the speed of sound. For most shipboard weapons, it is a small percent of the speed of light.

A standard Federation Impact Rifle holds a series of turbines and springs through the long barrel. The long swing up from patrol rest to firing position charges enough force in the rifle to knock a man off his feet. One charge of the pump charges enough energy to kill a human through blunt force trauma and internal hemorrhaging. The maximum charge the rifle can hold is able to shatter steel.

The main disadvantage to the weapon is that it takes at least two shots to take down a target with kinetic barriers; one to remove the shields, another to finish the job. For a shield designed to protect from projectiles with high kinetic power, and the weapons to emit pure kinetic energy, there is an intense stalemate. Veteran soldiers often overclock their rifles to short out shields and knock down their enemies from the carry-over of momentum.

The shipboard impact cannon is a much different machine than an infantry firearm. Massive pistons, gear systems, and the input from a Tumbler Drive power these weapons. The minimum charge on a Corvette is enough to obliterate a tank, and at its' maximum can level small towns. Similarly, Battle cruisers can disintegrate medium sized asteroids at low charge and cause extreme seismic activity and nuclear level impacts if used on a planet when at maximum.

These weapons are extremely dangerous; in a test of what an overclocked Battle cruiser can accomplish, a test run was done by the FBC Tharsis on a lifeless planet in the BNE6G81A system. When all the impact cannons on the ship were charged beyond maximum, the Tharsis was threatening to tear itself apart. When the weapons fire hit the planet, the result was so severe that part of the crust was ejected off and the mantle began to spill out and orbit the shattered world.

It is a capital crime for using shipboard impact weaponry on a habited planet, conviction of High Treason without trial and subsequent execution. Only ships with Tumbler drives can use large scale kinetic weaponry however, and only Capital-class military vessels, corvette and up, are authorized for that type of system. Other craft, from civilian to small troop transports, are only allowed a maximum armament of directed energy "laser" cannons. Fighter craft also rely upon laser cannons with no way to charge impact weapons without having the equipment weigh the fighter down enough to be taxing on the internal power plant. Armored vehicles however are able to mount kinetic weapons. The archaic looking tracks are much more formidable when it powers the tank or APC's ability to turn enemy bunkers into rubble with one shot.

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**A/N: Again, thank you for reading, ideas are welcome, so it criticism. I'm going to start working on the Krogan now. **


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